Peterborough city council has endorsed keeping the modular bridge housing community (MBHC) program at Wolfe Street in downtown Peterborough beyond November 2025, along with additional funding to improve security, but has deferred a decision to expand the site with more modular cabins.
Meeting as general committee on Monday night (September 16), councillors considered a staff report recommending the MBHC program continue beyond the originally approved timeframe of November 2025, contingent on continued funding under the Ontario government’s homelessness prevention program, and that the program remain at Wolfe Street rather than be moved to another location.
The report also recommended that council delegate authority to the city’s community services commissioner to make decisions about physical and operational modifications to the site, and that the city spend an additional $75,000 to improve security at the site and allocate up to $1.12 million to expand the site with up to 16 additional modular cabins.
In May 2023, city council approved the MBHC program to operate for 18 to 24 months as a measure to provide supported temporary housing options for people experiencing homelessness, largely in response to a controversial tent encampment at the Wolfe Street/Rehill Lot. By fall 2023, the city had constructed 50 modular homes, shared washroom facilities, and a central service hub operated by the Elizabeth Fry Society with 24/7 services and staff support on site.
According to the staff report, an initial evaluation of the program’s effectiveness shows improvements in the stability of residents, successful transitions to permanent housing, and residents making progress on goals and employment, as well has a safer and more positive neighbourhood environment.
Discussion on the staff report began with councillor Keith Riel proposing a motion to defer a decision on the expansion of the site and an amendment to require the city’s community services commissioner to consult with the council co-chairs for the portfolio that includes social services — Riel and councillor Alex Bierk — on decisions about physical and operational modifications of the site.
Riel’s amendment was carried unanimously by the mayor and the nine councillors at the meeting (councillor Matt Crowley was absent), with discussion then turning to Riel’s motion to defer a decision on the expansion of the site.
Riel referred to a conversation he had with Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith about the province’s recent announcement for funding homelessness and addiction recovery treatment (HART) hubs. As part of the August 20th announcement to ban supervised drug consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and child care centres, the Ontario government said it would be investing $378 million in 19 new HART hubs that would add up to 375 “highly supportive” housing units as well as addiction recovery and treatment beds.
According to Riel, MPP Smith told him 16 additional modular cabins at Wolfe Street are not needed as Four Counties Addiction Services Team (Fourcast) is working on a proposal for HART funding that would include transitional housing.
“I’m just bringing that up, the conversation I had with him, that transitional housing is a part of the HART program and he thought that there would be no need for the 16 modulars,” Riel explained. “I said to move it (the decision on expanding MBHC) to a future date because, if that doesn’t happen (the approval of the Fourcast proposal) and we do not get the funding, we may have to come back and revisit this — that we need to put more modulars in or find a place for more modulars to house people.”
After spending some time discussing procedures to separate and vote on the five recommendations in the staff report, councillors spoke to the first recommendation that the MBHC program remain on Wolfe Street beyond November 2025.
“I can’t support the site remaining there any longer than the original 18 to 24 months, so the immediate question is ‘Where do we put them?’,” said councillor Dave Haacke. “We do have other options. I know that there is land at the city boundary.”
Haacke noted that council made a “promise” to residents and businesses in the Wolfe Street neighbourhood when approving the MBHC program that it would be temporary, with a timeframe of 18 to 24 months. He suggested alternative locations, such as land by the Peterborough Airport, could be used as a site.
According to the staff report, it would cost at least $1.68 million to relocate the MBHC to a different site, with additional expenses possible depending on the new site. The current funding under the provincial homelessness prevention program would not be sufficient to cover the cost of moving the program.
In addition to potential costs, the report notes other reasons against moving the program to another location, including minimizing disruptions to the residents at the current location and potential challenges in replicating operational procedures and processes at a different site.
Mayor Leal spoke in support of maintaining MBHC at the Wolfe Street site, saying that it will continue to be needed while other transitional and supporting housing options are being developed in the community. Leal specifically referred to Brock Mission’s recent proposal for a 50-suite transitional housing building.
“If their project is that one that we decide will go forward, it takes time to get the appropriate planning approvals and it takes time to physically build the (units) they want to provide to support people who are making that orderly transition from modular homes into supportive housing into regular apartments,” the mayor said.
In supporting the recommendation, councillor Kevin Duguay said “we’re going to struggle deeply and profoundly” to find another location for the MBHC program.
“The reality is that no neighbourhood in our community will be receptive of a relocation, either in part or in full,” he said, acknowledging that maintaining the MBHC program on Wolfe Street means “we’re kind of going back on our word” to residents and businesses in the Wolfe Street neighbourhood.
After councillors Riel and Joy Lachica spoke in support of the first recommendation, councillors voted 9-1 for the MBHC program to remain on Wolfe Street beyond November 2025, with councillor Haake casting the sole dissenting vote.
In quick succession, councillors then voted unanimously to support the remaining four recommendations.
Councillor voted to delegate authority to the city’s community services commissioner to make decisions about physical and operational modifications to the site in consultation with council co-chairs, after the original recommendation was unanimously voted down and a revised version was introduced that removed a reference to expanding the capacity of the Wolfe Street site.
They also voted to approve $75,000 for improving security at the MBHC site, to defer a decision on expanding the MBHC program with new modular cabins, and to authorize the city’s community services commissioner “to do such things and to execute such documents” for the MBHC program “on terms satisfactory to the city solicitor.”
Items endorsed by general committee on September 16 will be considered by council for final approval the following Monday (September 23), when public delegations will be heard.
Council meetings are streamed live at www.peterborough.ca.
